Pressure casting in general is a modern casting process for manufacturing of sanitary ware and carried out mechanically with a pressure up to 40 bar. The mold is made of a special material and can be sold from Keramik Holding AG, Laufen, Switzerland and described in European patent application No. 83 81 01 07.9 (published under No. 0 089 317). Pressure casting in general is described in various articles, for example in journal "Keramische Zeitschrift", 37. annual, No. 4, 1985, pages 187 to 189.
In particular when producing toilet bowls one must, due to the relatively complicated shape, use a plurality of mold parts to form a closed mold cavity suitable for manufacturing a toilet bowl by pressure casting. In conventional presses (DE-A-33 19 012), the mold parts are moved together along pillar guides by means of hydraulic cylinders to form the mold. The closing pressure on the mold parts is applied by the same hydraulic cylinders that move together the clamping plates bearing the mold elements. Since in pressure casting the ceramic slip introduced into the mold after the latter is closed is solidified under high casting pressure to form a body, corresponding counterforces built up within the mold which must be compensated hydraulically from outside to maintain a uniform sealing surface over the entire mold seam or partition line between the mold parts. This requires elaborate automatic control measures in addition to the constructional efforts such a press requires due to the pillar guides of relatively large diameter.
The invention is based on the problem of providing a press for pressure casting sanitary articles, in particular toilet bowls, which is of simple and robust construction and is easy to operate even when producing sanitary articles requiring more than two mold parts for molding. Furthermore, it should ensure ready access to all components of the press for the purpose of removing the parts and performing assembly, dismantling and service tasks.